WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a standard-based technology enabling the delivery of “last mile” wireless broadband access as an alternative to existing broadband such as cable and DSL (digital subscribed line). WiMAX provides fixed, nomadic, portable and mobile wireless broadband connectivity without the need for direct line-of-sight with a basestation. In a typical cell radius deployment of three to ten kilometers, WiMAX Forum Certified™ systems can be expected to deliver a capacity of up to 40 Mbps per channel, for fixed and portable access applications.
This is enough bandwidth to simultaneously support hundreds of businesses with T-1 speed connectivity and thousands of residences with DSL speed connectivity. Mobile network deployments are expected to provide up to 15 Mbps of capacity within a typical cell radius deployment of up to three kilometers. It is expected that WiMAX technology will be incorporated in portable computers and PDAs (portable digital assistants) in the near future, allowing for urban areas and cities to become “metro zones” for portable outdoor broadband wireless access. However, there has been a lack of efficient mechanisms to provide services to mobile subscribers using existing broadband network infrastructures.